Rachel Warren presented latest results that show strong mitigation action avoids many, but not all, climate change impacts.
Results from the UK's AVOID programme show that 50% of the impact of water scarcity, and almost 40% of the impact of decreasing crop suitability can be avoided through early action on greenhouse gas emissions. Rachel emphasized that time is short and delaying action reduces the chance of limiting temperature rise to 2 °C and increases the chance of significant impacts. Rachel leads the Community Integrated Assessment System (CIAS) at the Tyndall Centre.
The AVOID programme is a unique inter-disciplinary research collaboration across the Hadley Centre, the Tyndall Centre, the Walker Institute, and the Grantham Institute. It spans the physical sciences, climate impacts and the technical and socio-economic implications of climate change. AVOID is targeted to provide policy-focused research and evidence needed to allow policymakers to develop mitigation and adaptation policy that is strongly grounded in scientific evidence. This workshop, the first international meeting of AVOID, was designed to discuss, engage and partner with US scientists. On the final day of the workshop, 5 UK and US scientists gave the briefing on Capitol Hill, with Rachel's contribution focusing on the climate change impacts avoided by prompt, stringent mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions. The avoided impacts were calculated by scientists at the Tyndall Centre and the Walker Institute. The avoided changes in climate were calculated by the Hadley Centre.
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